Ohio State Hosts No. 18 Iowa, No. 19 Michigan This Weekend

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State field hockey team is ready for a big weekend of Big Ten action in Columbus, hosting No. 18 Iowa at 3 p.m. Friday before taking on conference-rival and No. 19 Michigan at 1 p.m. Sunday at Buckeye Varsity Field.

FOLLOW THE GAMESLink to Gametracker for both games this weekend will be available on the Ohio State Field Hockey Schedule page on OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Twitter updates also will be available and can be received from @OhioState_FH. The contests also will be streamed on Buckeye Vision.

WATCH THE BUCKEYES LIVE Ohio State fans can watch the OSU home field hockey games by logging on to OhioStateBuckeyes.com for live video streaming on Buckeye Vision. Packages available for purchase include a one-month subscription for Buckeye Vision for $9.95 or a yearly all-inclusive pass for $79.95. Sign up today and watch the Buckeyes from anywhere.

BUCKEYES IN A NUTSHELL

The Buckeyes sit at 4-8 on the season after falling, 6-1, at nationally-ranked Penn State Oct. 11 in University Park, Pa. They have wins over UNH, Missouri State, Kent State and Ohio this season. The win over the Wildcats was a part of the 2013 Conference Cup hosted by Temple University, while the squad defeated Missouri State during the 2013 Buckeye Classic in Columbus.

Ohio State’s 24 goals have been scored by nine different players.

The Buckeyes have earned our Big Ten conference weekly honors this season, most recently, Brooke Hiltz, who was named Freshman of the Week Oct. 8 by the conference office.

Ohio State is guided by 18th-year head coach Anne Wilkinson, who has led the Scarlet and Gray to NCAA Tournament appearances three out of the last four years.

STUDENT-ATHLETE SPOTLIGHTSophomore Peanut Johnson is this week’s Ohio State student-athlete spotlight. You can read about the OSU forward by going to the home page on OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

A LOOK AT IOWAIowa is currently tied for fourth with Michigan with a 1-2 mark in the Big Ten standings with three weeks remaining in the 2013 regular season. Last time out, the Hawkeyes downed Pacific, 7-2, Oct. 13 in Iowa City. Junior Dani Hemeon and freshman Stephanie Norlander were named Big Ten Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week Tuesday, respectively. Last week, Hemeon scored four goals in two games and now has 22 points (10g, 2a) this season, while Norlander has notched 12 points on six goals. Iowa is led by Natalie Cafone, who is second in the Big Ten with 31 points. Goalkeeper Kelsey Boyce is 7-5 this season with a 1.46 goals-against average.

BUCKEYES VS. HAWKEYESIowa leads the all-time series, 42-14, against Ohio State. However, the Scarlet and Gray have won four out of the last six meetings in Columbus against the Hawkeyes. Last year, Iowa earned a 2-1 victory Sept. 30 in Iowa City.

MAKE B1G PLANSOhio State is the host of the 2013 Big Ten Championship, scheduled for Nov. 7-10 at Buckeye Varsity Field. Action will begin Thursday, Nov. 7 with three quarterfinal games. The No. 1 seed and first-round winners will meet in the semifinals Friday, Nov. 8 with the championship taking place Sunday, Nov. 10. Wednesday contests will be streamed on BTN.com with the semifinals and final matches appearing on BTN.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK FOR HILTZBrooke Hiltz, a forward on the Ohio State field hockey team, was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced Oct. 8. Hiltz, native of Virginia Beach, Va., earns her first career conference weekly award.

Hiltz, who has been a key component to the Buckeyes’ penalty corner unit, posted an assist in the 2-1 victory against Ohio Sunday. She is fourth on the team with seven points on two goals and three assists this season. Hiltz has notched all seven points in the last five contests highlighted by a five-point performance in a 4-3 win over Kent State Sept. 24

SCOUTING MICHIGANThe No. 19 Wolverines have claimed wins in three out of their last four games. Last time out, Michigan defeated Central Michigan, 2-0, at Ocker Field in Ann Arbor, Mich. Senior forward Rachael Mack leads the Big Ten in multiple offensive categories, including points (35), points per game (2.50), goals (15), goals per game (1.07) and shots (97). The Wolverines have outscored their opponents, 44-31, and have a 116-50 lead in penalty corners. Goalkeeper Haley Jones is 7-6 with a 2.16 goals-against average.

BUCKEYES VS. WOLVERINESMichigan leads the all-time series, 36-24-2, against Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes have claimed wins in four out of the last five meetings in Columbus. The Buckeyes last victory vs. Michigan was during the 2011 campaign, winning, 2-1, Sept. 23 in Columbus.

UP NEXTOhio State will next travel for a mid-week contest at Ball State Sept. 23. The Buckeyes will conclude the home regular season schedule vs. Indiana at 1 p.m. Oct. 26 in Columbus. The matchup vs. the Hoosiers also will be Senior Day for the Buckeyes.

Cowie, a midfielder from Trinidad and Tobago, is a 2012 Second Team All-Big Ten honoree, earning league honors last season for the first time in her Buckeye career. Cowie, who has collected 50 career starts in three years, played in all 19 games in 2012 and was a part of the OSU midfield that limited opponents to 10.2 shots per game and 1.67 goals per game. Cowie has notched two goals and three assists in her career. As a true freshman, Cowie played in 20 games, including 10 starts for the 2010 NCAA Final Four squad. Cowie is a three-time NFHCA National Academic honoree, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete.

Murer, a back from Luzern, Switzerland, has started in every game since the 2010 campaign, collecting a team-best 73 starts (most by active members). Murer has been an anchor in the Buckeye backfield the last three seasons, posting three goals and six assists in her OSU career, while being a part of 15 career shutouts. As a junior, Murer played in at least 70 minutes in 13 contests, notching a season-best five points on one goal and three assists. As a true freshman, Murer, played in all 23 contests for the NCAA Final Four Buckeyes, holding opponents to a conference-best 1.26 goals per game, while playing in a team-best 1,642 minutes as a rookie. Like Cowie, Murer also has excelled in the classroom as a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, three-time NFHCA National Academic honoree and three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete.

LEMIEUX, HAMILTON EARN B1G WEEKLY HONORSJunior goalkeeper Sarah Lemieux and freshman midfielder Paige Hamilton on the Ohio State field hockey team were named Big Ten Defensive and Freshman Player of the Week, respectively, the conference office announced Sept 3. Both Lemieux and Hamilton earn their first career conference weekly laurels.

Lemieux, a native of Dublin, Ohio, helped the Buckeyes to a 3-2 upset victory vs. No. 20 UNH Sept. 1 in her first career start in the Scarlet and Gray. Lemieux posted eight saves, including three in extra time. She went on to deny the final two UNH attempts during the shootout after 100 minutes of action at the Conference Cup in Philadelphia, Pa.

Hamilton, a native of Port Moody, British Columbia, scored two goals during the Buckeyes' opening weekend at the Conference Cup in Philadelphia, Pa. In her Buckeye debut, the OSU rookie posted the team's lone goal in the loss to Temple. She helped the Buckeyes to a 3-2 upset victory vs. No. 20 UNH on Sunday after scoring the game-tying goal with five seconds left in regulation to force extra time.

CONFERENCE CUP REVIEW Ohio State went 1-1 during the opening weekend of 2013 at the Conference Cup in Philadelphia, Pa. The Buckeyes dropped their opening contest vs. Temple, 4-1. Freshman midfielder Paige Hamilton scored the lone goal in her first career start, while classmate forward Brooke Hiltz also started in her first collegiate game vs. the Owls.

The Buckeyes rebounded in thrilling fashion to close out the classic after upsetting No. 20 UNH, 3-2, in an overtime shootout. Junior goalkeeper Sarah Lemieux made her first career start, posting eight saves, including three in extra time. Senior forward Sophia Pifer knocked in her first career goal in the first half, while Paige Hamilton tied the game, 2-2, with just five seconds left in regulation. After both overtimes went scoreless, sophomore forward Peanut Johnson, senior midfielder Nora Murer and senior midfielder Mona Frommhold all connect on their shots, while Lemieux denied UNH’s final two attempts to claim the win.